


Together We'll Outrun It

by babydollbucky



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Ableism, Alternate Universe, Bickering, CW/WS-aesthetic Bucky Barnes, Established Relationship, Implied Violence, Mild description of injuries, Protective Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Stucky - Freeform, hurt comfort, pre-serum-aesthetic Steve Rogers, shrinkyclinks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 02:29:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17235647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babydollbucky/pseuds/babydollbucky
Summary: Realizing that Steve would never give it up was a revelation for Bucky. Steve had too much love and anger and decency in his heart to let people suffer when he thought he could help. And Bucky had come to accept that. He didn’t want to change Steve--would never ask that of him. But now, it was becoming evident that this situation wasn’t typical. And Bucky was worried.That he was saying nothing was extremely concerning. It meant one of two things:  he’d been attacked, unprovoked (Bucky would definitely kill the bastards in that case), or; Steve felt like he’d fucked up, or failed, or something in that vein.





	Together We'll Outrun It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bangyababy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bangyababy/gifts).



> Thanks to [roe87](%E2%80%9Croe87%E2%80%9D) for betaing. 
> 
> Written for the SteveBucky Holiday Gift Exchange. 
> 
> Happy Holidays, @bangyababy ! Have a fantastic 2019! ♡

“Jesus Christ, Stevie, what happened?!” Bucky yelled, voice taking on a panicked edge.

Steve had come home limping, clothes wrinkled and dirty- _bloody_ \- and Bucky saw red. He would kill whoever did this to his boyfriend. His lip was split, he had a nice shiner setting in, and his shirt was ripped at the collar.

“‘M fine, Buck. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” Steve said, not looking up from the floor as he walked past Bucky into the bathroom.

Bucky followed him, and gave him a gentle shove to sit on the toilet cover. “Sit down before you fall down. The hell were you thinking?” he muttered, words venomless, as he fished through the cabinet for first aid supplies. He hated seeing Steve hurt, more than anything. “What happened, Steve?”

He still hadn’t looked at Bucky. Normally, when Steve had gotten into a fight, he wouldn’t hesitate to tell Bucky the reason. He was proud to stand up for people who wouldn’t or couldn’t do it themselves. He was proud to take down jerks and bigots and assholes. He was proud even when he got the shit beat out of him.

And Bucky understood, he did. He knew those people needed to be knocked down a lot of pegs, and he was happy to do it himself. But he wished Steve would stop taking up the task alone.

Bucky always felt terrible thinking it, but Steve was not the healthiest person. He was underweight, constantly struggled with breathing, and was sick more often than he wasn’t. He wasn’t weak, not by any means. But his body was not helpful when it came to fighting.

Realizing that Steve would never give it up was a revelation for Bucky. Steve had too much love and anger and decency in his heart to let people suffer when he thought he could help. And Bucky had come to accept that. He didn’t want to change Steve--would never ask that of him. But now, it was becoming evident that this situation wasn’t typical. And Bucky was worried.

That he was saying nothing was extremely concerning. It meant one of two things: he’d been attacked, unprovoked (Bucky would definitely kill the bastards in that case), or; Steve felt like he’d fucked up, or failed, or something in that vein.

He pulled out the antiseptic and gauze, and a washcloth. He ran the washcloth under cold water, and began dabbing at the not-yet-dried blood on Steve’s face. He flinched a bit, but remained silent. He wasn’t even fidgeting, another oddity. Cracking his knuckles, twiddling his thumbs, picking at his nails; Steve was always doing something with his hands.

Bucky let Steve stew in his reticence, and continued cleaning him up. He helped him get the ruined shirt off, and his heart sank when bright blue and purple bruises were revealed. He didn’t say anything when Steve hissed at being jostled. He didn’t say anything when Steve grabbed his arm to help lift himself up. He didn’t say anything when he sat Steve down on the couch and laid a blanket over him.

Steve would tell him when he was ready, so he wasn’t going to push. He retrieved a cup of tea, milk and honey stirred into it how Steve liked, and sat next to him. He tried to keep his posture open, so that Steve knew he could cuddle up and lean against him if he wanted or needed to. He had also brought some Tylenol. It wouldn’t do much, but Advil and Aleve upset Steve’s stomach, and it was better than nothing.

Steve reached out and grasped the mug, and the pills. He downed them with a chug of tea, wincing when they stuck a bit in his throat. He swallowed hard, and then replaced the mug on the coffee table. He curled his feet under him, making himself as small as possible. That, too, was unlike Steve. He wasn’t self-conscious of his stature, exactly. It was more that hated being underestimated because of it.

Bucky watched him intently, trying not to let the waves of concern he felt touch Steve. He wasn’t trying to guilt him into talking; he didn’t want Steve to feel badly.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Steve shuffled gingerly to Bucky’s side of the sofa, and leaned his head on his shoulder. He turned his face into Bucky’s neck, and Bucky lifted a hand to smooth through blond strands. Resting a cheek on the top of Steve’s head, Bucky was reminded of how much he loved this man, and of how glad he was that Steve loved him.

When Steve spoke, it was so soft that Bucky nearly missed what he said.

“Fucking...Rumlow. Was talking about you.”

Rumlow? That bastard? What could he possibly have been saying that Steve had to get all up in arms--

“Said you were--ah, shit!” Bucky was alarmed by Steve’s outburst of despair, but he was even more shocked by the tears that were trailing down his neck. Steve was crying. Rumlow made Steve cry, had hurt him. He was going to kill him. But before he did that, Steve needed him.

“Honey, hey, it’s ok, whatever he said--”

“He called you a coward, Buck!” Steve shouted, pulling away from Bucky with tears streaming down his face. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, and his brows were pinched, making for a rage-filled expression.

He was shocked. It was not the worst thing he'd ever been called, not by far.

It wasn't even untrue, if he was honest with himself.

He had left the army after his incident, and though he'd been deemed well enough to return to active duty, he'd taken the easy way out: medical discharge. He hadn't even been physically injured. Well, not that badly, anyway.

“He kept saying that you're a coward and you left ‘cause you're nuts, and it's not safe around you, and all this other bullshit, and I couldn't let him say that about you!”

Trust Steve to take offense on his behalf, to defend what was left of his honor.

God, Bucky loved him.

“Steve, did you start a fight with him? Because he was talking about me?” he asked gently, but with enough of an edge that Steve knew he thought it was stupid of him to do, though it was appreciated.

He nodded against Bucky's broad chest.

Bucky sighed, stroking up and down his boyfriend's back.

“Stevie, thank you. I love you, and I love that you want to protect me. But I don't want you getting hurt for me. Let them say whatever they want. It doesn't matter what they think. I only care what you think,” he finished in a murmur. He was still running his hand over Steve’s back, chin laid atop his blond head.

Something muffled came from about where Steve's mouth should have been. Bucky couldn't make it out.

“What, honey?”

Steve pulled away from Bucky's chest and repeated with a pitiful pout, “I said, I can't let people talk shit about you. I can't do it.”

“And I can't stand seeing you hurt.”

Steve froze and stared into his boyfriend's slate gray eyes, evidently not having been prepared for that statement. He recovered quickly though. He chuckled, leaning his forehead against Bucky's sternum. Bucky tensed up, a bit offended that his concern was being laughed off.

“The fuck is funny about that? You're hurt, I'm worried, and you're gonna be a jackass about it?” Bucky rumbled, without any real heat.

“No, no, it's just…We're a pair, huh, Buck?” Steve replied through his giggles.

Bucky stared at him with wide eyes, processing what Steve had said. After a moment, he shrugged and pulled him close again. He gave a chuckle and kissed the top of his head.

“I guess so, Stevie. But I mean it, you gotta stay out of trouble. You don't have to defend me. I don't want you getting hurt because of me, okay?”

Steve hummed, but Bucky couldn't tell if he was annoyed or agreeing. He tapped softly on the side of his head with his knuckles.

“Mmpf,” Steve vocalized as he made to look up into Bucky's eyes. “Okay, okay, I'll _try_. I'm not gonna stand by if someone's talking bad about you, but I'll _try_ not to get into actual fights. Fair?”

Bucky pouted, knowing that Steve found it ridiculously adorable, and hoping to sway him to his side. “No, not really. But I know that's probably the best I'm gonna get out of you.”

Steve grinned sheepishly, wincing when his split lip pulled. He leaned up to kiss Bucky on the lips.

“You'd do the same for me.” Bucky couldn't deny that. The few times someone had said something awful to or about Steve, Bucky had been ready to throw down. The difference was that Bucky, with his huge frame and dense musculature, usually just had to stare the asshole down, and they'd run. People looked at Steve and… didn't.

“This conversation is never gonna end, is it?” Bucky asked, knowing in his heart that Steve was just too good to let anything he saw as injustice go.

“I'm not gonna apologize,” came the slightly defensive reply.

Bucky shook his head and kissed Steve on the forehead.

“I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to be careful, if not for your sake, then mine.”

Steve’s lips turned down, and he whined, “That’s a low blow.” He seemed to be thinking deeply about Bucky’s request, until he spoke again. “I suppose I could, _maybe_ , attempt to be more picky about what I get involved in. No promises though,” he grinned, all teeth.

“I’m holding you to that sort-of agreement, Steve.” Bucky rolled his eyes, and yanked Steve close to him again.

Steve’s arms wound around Bucky’s waist, cheek smushed against his chest. “I guess we just have to keep looking out for each other, huh?”

“I guess so. ‘S what we’ve always done best.” After a short span of comfortable silence, Bucky kissed Steve’s temple, and whispered, “I love you, you know.”

“I love you, too, Buck. Now can you make us some more tea?” Steve replied, somehow looking both serious and cheeky.

Bucky barked a laugh and stood up, letting Steve fall over on the couch.

“Hey!” Steve yelled between chuckling, as Bucky, also laughing, disappeared into the kitchen.


End file.
